Verse of the Day – 1 John 3:8

He who does what is sinful is of the devil, because the devil has been sinning from the beginning. The reason the Son of God appeared was to destroy the devil’s work.

—1 John 3:8

Thoughts on Today’s Verse…

John presents us with two truths — one hard and the other liberating:

1. The person who CONTINUES* to live a life caught up in sin has been co-opted and deceived by the devil’s influence in their lives.
2. The Son of God came to destroy all that the devil stands for and give us back our true humanity as a person made in the image of God who lives for his purposes and future.

These two truths remind us we must intentionally choose to honor the Son by living for him. I must ask myself, “Which side do I choose with my life in this war between good and evil?” Lukewarm approaches to following Jesus simply won’t cut it (Revelation 3:16). If I am not actively on the Lord’s side, then by default, when I continue in sin,* I am choosing the losing side of life! The good news for committed disciples, however, is that the Son will remove the devil’s work and free us to find life forever with the Father!**

* ὁ ποιῶν τὴν ἁμαρτίαν means “repeatedly doing sinful things.”

** The verb λύσῃ τὰ ἔργα means to “release and set free” from the devil’s works.

My Prayer…

Almighty and victorious King of the Ages, you are the only rightful ruler of my heart. I pledge my allegiance to you. Please help me as I seek to lay aside my struggles with sin and empower me to live for you in unwavering loyalty. I pray in the name of my LORD and Savior, Jesus Christ. Amen.

The Thoughts and Prayer on Today’s Verse are written by Phil Ware. You can email questions or comments to phil@verseoftheday.com.

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